Musing about Game Music

Originally written June 10, 2024

I’ve been listening to a lot of game music lately (as always) but I’ve always felt that there’s a lot of misconceptions with it.

With chiptune, it’s the fact that the word “soundfont” has redefined itself to be a synonym for “instrumentation” (getting to the point that it’s been used to discuss music in general outside games). It annoys me greatly and I don’t even consider myself a composer, though I do have SOME experience with it at least. Language changes as time evolves, and sometimes that’s inevitable and fine; everyone has a different viewpoint on what words should mean. I just wish people didn’t argue in favor in what they’re comfortable with when it comes to words that only have one strict definition.

Another misconception is just… I guess the idea of “media literacy” regarding game music? For a lot of people video game music operates on a “I know it when I hear it” type of basis, and people immediately discredit “game music” as if games are exempt from having genuinely captivating and enjoyable pieces. The other side of the coin is admittedly sheltered at best, pretentious at worst individuals that only listen to game music in spite of music from traditional artists. Not only can music from game stand toe to toe with music from conventional mediums, it’s very easy to use your taste in music in games as a branching off point to find artists you like in other mediums.

Ridge Racer Type 4 might have one of the greatest soundtracks ever made, as far as I’m concerned. I’m incredibly biased when I say that, but it tiptoes into the “Soundtrack With A Free Game” territory because I fell in love with the music before the game itself. The final PS1 entry in the Ridge Racer series, R4 blends a slick graphical interface and art style with a sophisticated selection of music across various genres. Jazz, funk, electronic, and drum and bass blend together and envelop around you, immerisfying you into the 32 bit landscapes. Beginning the morning with “Pearl Blue Soul”, racing on sunset with the funky synth of “Your Vibe”, the warm streetlights shining down on you to “Quiet Curves”, it all goes together amazingly.

“Move Me” by Kohta Takahashi might be the game’s most famous track. The track has three elements, the hard drum and bass patterns, the electric guitars, and the softer synth that takes the lead leading to an emotional dissonance that hooks you in, and when the strings come in? AND the electric guitar solo that kicks in before it loops in on itself? The track is tension with a capital T.  It’s already my favorite track, but it’s not why the track is famous now.

4 years ago, independent music artist JPEGMafia sampled a clip of it in “BALD!” and it put a lot of new eyes onto Ridge Racer Type 4. Not every sample usage has to completely blend it into making it its own (just look at how people like J Dilla, 9th Wonder, or Pete Rock treated samples), but I couldn’t imagine “BALD!” without Kohta’s song existing first. What made it good to me was that Kohta Takahashi actually commented on JPEG’s upload of his song on YouTube, expressing gratitude and happiness that the song was able to “transcend time, borders, and race”.

Art being able to be iterated upon into a completely separate product, yet still compliment where it originates, so you gain an increased respect for both pieces when you discover their connection, is the sign of something great. All art is derivative in a way, but I love thinking about this stuff. Also, Kohta Takhashi releases his own independent music and even the stems to some of his previous work on bandcamp, so give him some support.

I could go on about talking about music another time, but the only other thing I’d like to mention is the concept of “Internet Checkpoints”. There’s these YouTube uploads of 1 hour video game music pieces… but it’s not like others. Often times these songs are really introspective in nature and everyone’s just leaving comments about where they are, their life’s struggles, and where they’d like to be in the future. It’s one of the few places online especially these days where there’s a sense of community amidst the polarization of culture wars, radicalization, and needless conflict. Here, everyone has issues and we come together at least for a little bit to make ourselves feel better.

This sense of community is why I still think YouTube is an insanely unique website and that I’ll die on the hill that there are interactions in the YouTube comment section that can’t be found anywhere else.  I may have been in the minority back when YouTube announced they were getting rid of comments on their official music uploads because the YouTube comments sections are just havens for harassment, but in reality being able to talk about why a song moves you is what separates it from something like Spotify. We have various feelings about media that affects us and a simple LIKE/DISLIKE can’t properly convey that, and when you see how people pour their hearts out due to a simple 1 hour upload of the “Corridors of Time” theme from Chrono Trigger, it only proves my point.

It doesn’t even mean that someone has to have interacted with the media a song originates from in order for it to affect them on a profound level; I’ve never played Chrono Trigger and hearing this song for the first time made me feel a weird mixture of hope and melancholy loneliness all at once. I can only imagine what it will be like to find this song in the context of the game itself.

I have more thoughts about music, including game music (and might actually give more context as to why the “soundfont” nonsense frustrates me if I’m feeling petty enough), but I’d love for this to be an outlet to talk about why pieces of media are so effective.

And go play some Ridge Racer 4 when you can.